File holder



Nov. 10, 1931. w. FERGUSON 2 Sheets-Shea l vw an FILE HOLDER I I I Filed Oct. 2, l

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vvvvvvvvw A TTO/PNE Y NOV. 10, 1931. w. FERGUSON 1,831,590

FILE HOLDER Filed Oct 2, 1929 2 Sheets-Shee 2 ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 10, 1931 WILLIAM. rnneuson, or linemen v rmnnomna Application filed October 2, 1929. seriarrro. 396,699. r Y

I T his invention relates to file holders adapted to be attached to flexible files to facilitate their use. a

In working upon curved surfaces, as for example the body or fenders of an automobile, it may be desirable to file convex and concave surfaces of different curvatures. The present invention therefore relates to a file holder that is so constructed that a flexible' file when attached to the holder may be-the file in engagement with a convex surface;

readily flexed or bowed to conform to convex or concave surfaces of different curvatures.

"One important feature of the present invention resides in an adjustable file'holder for flexible files which is so constructed: that it may be readily adjusted to bend an attached file sothat the file will confornito concave surfaces of different curvatures.

Another feature of the invention-resides in a flexible file holder that is adapted'to hold a flexible file so that it may be used in a straightened condition or ma bend orbow to conform to convex surfaces 0 different curvatures.

- Another feature-of the invention resides in a flexible file'holdercomprising a bar having laterally extending portions adaptedtobe secured to a flexible'file-to retain the filein spaced relation to the bar so that the file may be readily bowed either toward or fromthe bar, and in adjust-able means associated with the bar and adapted'to be adjusted to'vary the curvature of the file. I

Still another feature of the invention resides in a bar and in a flexible base or backing plate that is secured in spaced relation to the bar. and in means forsecuring a flexible file to the backing plate so that the plate and file may be flexed together.

Other features of the inventionand novel 0 combination of parts in addition to the above will be hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings, illustrating one good practical form thereof.

Int-he; drawings? Fig. l is a perspective View of a flexible file holder constructed in accordance with the present invention and shows the file in en-,

gagement with a flat surface. I

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of (meet the bowed toward and-from this bar.,-, Thebar Fig. 2 on an enlarged scale is a side elevation; of the file holder of Fig. 1 with parts in section. a u

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of part of the file holder of Fig. 2. I

Fig. 4 is aside-elevation showing the file holder with its file in engagement with a concave surface. 1s

-Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 and shows and I i Fig. 6 is a viewv similar to Fig. 4 and shows the file inengagement with aconcavo-convex surface. I In accordance-with the present invention the file holder is so constructed that the flex ible file may be bowed or bent to conform with concave and convexsurfaces of different curvaturesand also may be held in a straightened condition for use upon flat surfaces.

In the embodiment of the invention illus-. trat-ed in the drawings the flexible 4 file is maintained in spaced relation to a bar 10 4 so that the flexible: file may be flexed or 10in the construction illustrated is. provided atone end with an angle bracket 11 which is rigidly secured to the bar by any suitable means such as the nuts 12 and 13 that are secured tothe threaded end portion 'of the bar 10 and firmly engage the opposite faces of the upright portion of the angle bracket 11.

The opposite end portion of the bar 10 is threaded throughout a substantial distance as shown and upon this threaded portion of the bar is slidably mounted the angle bracket 14 which preferably has the construction best shown in Fig. 1, whereinit will be seen that this bracket is provided with a sleeve- 4" like portion 15 having a central bore adapted to loosely engage the rod 10 as will be apparent from Fig. 2. The arrangement is such that the play between the sleeve 15'and bar 10 will permit a limited tilting movement to be imparted to the bracket 14 asthis bracket is pushed frontwardly to how the flexible file outwardly or pulled :rearwardly to how the file inwardly.

It is desirable to provide means for adjusting the angle bracket 14 lengthwise of 109 the bar 10 to facilitate bowing or bending of the flexible file and also to hold the file in the bowed or straightened condition. The desired adjustment of the bracket 14 lengthwise of the bar 10 is secured in the present construction by providing the handle 16 having the central bore 17 extending lengthwise of the handle throughout asubstantial distance to form a clearance space to receive the end )ortion of the bar 10 and this handle is provided at its forward end with a threaded sleeve or nut 18, which may be rigidly secured to the handle 16 by providing this nut with the ferrule 19 adapted to snugly embrace the end portion of the handle 16 and this ferrule may be further secured to the handle 16 by providing the ferrule with the indentations 20, the arrangement is such that the nut 18 may be advanced lengthwise of the rod 10 by rotating the handle.

It is desirable that the adjustable handle 16 be operable to force the angle bracket 14 lengthwise of the rod either towards or from the forward bracket 11 and this accomplished in the construction shown by providing the upper portion of the bracket 14 with the upwardly extending cars 21. which are disposed in spaced relation to the forward portion 22 of the bracket to thereby form aclearance space 23 in which the enlarged annular portion of the nut 18 may be rotated while the reduced annular portion 24 of this nut may rotate in the recess formed between the spaced lugs 21. The arrangement is such that when the parts just described are assembled as shown in Fig. 2 by inserting the rear end of the rod 10 through the opening in the sleeve 15 and then rotating the handle 16 to advance the nut 18 and bracket 14 lengthwise of this rod, the parts will be maintained in their assembled relation so that the bracket 14 may be advanced lengthwise of the rod 10 in one direction or the other depending upon the direction in which the handle 16 is rotated.

The file holder of the present invention is designed to facilitate the use of flexible files 25 of well known construction which are now in commercial use. These files are sufficiently flexible to permit them to be bent or bowed to a substantial degree without breaking and the opposite faces of these files are usually provided with teeth as shown so that the files are reversible to permit the use of either face thereof. These flexible files are commonly provided with bolt holes in their ends to facilitate their attachment to a file holder.

As above stated the flexible file is attached to the file holder in spaced relation to the bar 10 so that the file may be flexed or bowed towards or from the bar. In the construction shown the flexible file is removably secured to the file holder by, providing the forward bracket 11 with a laterally extending portion 26 and the rearward adjustable bracket 14 is provided with a laterally extending portion 27. The file 25 is rigidly secured to the portions 26 and 27 of the brackets 11 and 14 by the bolts 28, which are inserted through the holes provided near the ends of the file and these bolts are secured in place by the nuts 29.

In many cases it will be found desirable to employ a base or backin plate 30 adapted to engage the inr r face or the file 25 and this backing pla may be secured in place by the bolts 28 which serve to confine the ends of the backing plate between the file and the laterally extending projections 26 and 27. This backing plate will serve to back up or strengthen the file 25 to prevent the file from breaking under pressure and will tend to give the file a true radius when bent.

As a result of the construction described the file may be bent or bowed outwardly from the bar 10 as shown in Fig. 4, to cause the outer face of the file to conform to the concave surface of a piece of work 31. vVhen it is desired to spring or force the file 25 outwardly from the bar 10 from its dotted line position of Fig. 4 to its full line position, this is accomplished by rotating the handle 16 to advance the bracket 14 toward the forward bracket 11. This will cause the bracket 14 to exert a forward pressure upon the file 25 and will also serve to tilt the portion 27 of this bracket from the position in which it is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4 to the position in which it is shown in full lines in this view. This as above stated will cause the file 25 to spring outwardly to the desired curvature and 'will maintain the file in this bowed condition.

When it is desired to use the flexible file upon a convex surface of a. piece of work 32 as shown in Fig. 5, the handle is adjusted lengthwise of the bar 10 to a position which will permit the flexible file to bend inwardly towards the rod 10 as this file is forced against the convexed surface of the work. WVhen the file is to be used upon a concavo-convex surface of a piece of work 33 as shown in Fig. 6 the file handle will be adjusted to substantially the same position as in Fig. 5 so that the flexible file will be free to conform to the curvatures of thework 33 as will be apparent in Fig. 6.

\Vhen it is desired to use the flexible file upon a flat surface such as a piece of work 34 as shown in Fig. 1 the handle may be rotated in a direction to move the bracket 14 rearwardly to exert a pull upon the flexible file and backing strip 30 to maintain the file and strip in a straightened tensioned condition as shown in Fig. 1.

The file holder is preferably provided .with a knob or handle 35 at its forward end to facilitate the use of the tool and this handle may be conveniently secured to the bracket 11 by providing the bracket with a reduced upwardly extending post 36 adapted to be driven into the handle 35 and the sides of this post are preferably given the saw-toothed construction shown to maintain the knob or handle in place upon the post.

In some cases it may be desirable to employ the file holder of the present invention to operate flexible files of different lengths and this may be accomplished by rotating the handle 16 to move the bracket 14 lengthwise of the bar 10 from the pwition in which it is shown in full lines of Fig. 2 to the position in which it is shown in dotted lines of this view, to thereby accommodate a flexible file which is shorter than that shown in the drawings. In case the shorter file just mentioned is used then a shorter backing plate is also used, so that both the file and backing plate may be clamped to the bracket 14 by the bolt 28 when this bracket occupies the position in which it is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the file holder of the present invention may be readily adjusted to accommodate flexible files to different lengths and that a flexible file when attached to thefile holder may be readily bowed or bent to conform to concave or convex surfaces of various configurations by merely rotating the handle 16 to shift the bracket lengthwise of the bar 10.

IVhat is claimed is:

1. A file holder comprising a frame adjustable to maintain a flexible file bowed either towards or from the frame and in cluding a bar of greater length than the flexible file and threaded at its rear' end, a bracket rigidly secured to the forward end of the bar to prevent relative movement therebetween to impart a forward thrust upon the bar to the forward end of the file, and provided with a knob or handle and also with a flat plate adapted to be bolted to an end of a flexible file, a rear bracket loosely mounted upon the threaded portion of said bar for sliding and tilting movement and provided with a fiat face adapted to be bolted to the opposite end of the flexible file, a'handle having threaded engagement with the threaded portion of said bar to adjust the rear bracket along the bar to bow the file either towards or from the bar, and a file backing strip secured between the file and said flat faces and adapted to be bowed by the sliding and tilting movement of said rear bracket.

2. A file holder comprising a frame adjustable to maintain a flexible file bowed either towards or from the frame and including a bar of greater length than the flexible file and threaded at its rear end, a bracket secured to the forward end of the bar and provided with a knob or handle andi with a flat plate adapted to be bolted to an end of a flexible file, a rear bracket loosely mounted upon the threaded portion of said bar for sliding and tilting movement and provided with a flat face adapted to be bolted to the opposite end of the flexible file, a

handle having threaded engagement with the bar and operable to pull the bracket along the bar to how the file inwardly and to push it alon the bar to bow the file outwardly, and a .ile backing strip secured between the file and said .flat faces and adapted to be bowed by the sliding and tilting movement of said rear bracket.

3. A file holder comprisin a frame adjustable to maintain a flexi le file bowed either towards or from the frame and including a bar of greater length than the flexible file and threaded at its rear end, a bracketsecured to the forward end of the bar and provided with a knob or handle and with a flat plate adapted to be bolted to an end of a flexible file, a rear bracket loosely mounted upon the threaded portion of said bar for sliding and tilting movement and provided with a flat face adapted to be bolted to the opgiositeend of the flexiblefile and also provi ed with spaced portions, one of which is bifurcated to form a handle receiving bearing. a handle having threaded engagement with the bar to adjust the rear bracket in either direction along the bar and rovided with a cylindrical portion journale in said bearing and an annular flange that rotates between said spaced portions, and a file backing strip secured between the file and said flat faces and adapted to be bowed by the sliding and tilting movement of said rear bracket.

In testimony whereof, I have-signed my name to this specification.

WILLIAM FERGUSON. 

